1. Technical Field
This document relates to methods and materials involved in obtaining induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. For example, this document relates to methods and materials for increasing the efficiency of making iPS cells as well as methods and materials for selecting iPS cells.
2. Background Information
Coerced expression of sternness transcription factors can be used to reprogram somatic cell fate to achieve pluripotent capacity and to endow an embryonic-like propensity for multilineage differentiation, the hallmark of iPS cells (Takahashi and Yamanaka, Cell, 126:663-676 (2006); Meissner et al., Nat. Biotechnol., 25:1177-1181 (2007); Mikkelsen et al., Nature, 454:49-55 (2008); Hochedlinger and Plath, Development, 136:509-523 (2009); and Nelson et al., Nat. Rev. Cardiol., 7(12):700-10 (2010)). iPS cells as well as cells formed from iPS cells have many potential uses. For example, iPS cells and cells formed from iPS cells have the potential to allow clinicians to carry out cell therapies without using embryotic tissue. In some cases, iPS cells can be used to carry out patient-specific cell therapies. For example, iPS cells can be created from a patient sample and used to generate a population of differentiated cells for a desired treatment that can be administered to that same patient.